Firm News
Reed McClure is very pleased to announce that attorney Becky Clawson has joined the firm. Becky comes to us with experience in construction and other defense litigation.
Pam Okano spoke at the Pincus Professional Education seminar entitled "State v. Federal Appeals: Winning in Either Venue", held on December 8, 2011, at the Sheraton Seattle.
In September, 2011, Mike Rogers obtained summary judgment on behalf of an insurer and two insurance agents in a case were policyholders claimed, after a fire, that their house was underinsured.
Reed McClure sadly says goodbye to one of its own. Anamaria Gil has been appointed a Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals Judge by the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals. We will miss her and wish her all the best.
Marilee Erickson and Michael Budelsky convinced Division I of the Court of Appeals to uphold the dismissal of a lawsuit against their clients for insufficient service of process. In a published opinion, the court held that the trial court's fact-finding hearing was proper and that the insufficiency of service defense was not waived.
On August 26, 2011, Marilee Erickson presented Appellate Issues for Trial Lawyers at the WSBA Annual Litigation Section Seminar, Build Your Case: From Fact Pattern to Trial Strategy.
Reed McClure is proud to announce that Bill Hickman, Jack Rankin, Pam Okano, and Marilee Erickson have all been named, again, to Thomson Reuters' "2011 Super Lawyer" list. Pam Okano was also named to Thomson Reuters' "Top 50 Washington Women Lawyers" list.
Pam Okano convinced the Court of Appeals that a condominium association could not be held liable in damages to a unit owner who complained about continuing water intrusion into his unit. The Court of Appeals awarded Pam's client attorney fees on appeal.
Pam Okano convinced the Washington Court of Appeals that summary judgment in favor of a father and grandson and a jury verdict in favor of a son were correct in a jet ski-boat case. There was evidence that the jet ski had the same hull registration number as one owned by the father, but Pam persuaded the court that there was no evidence that the grandson was riding it, that the jury was justified in finding that the son was not riding it, and that the father could not be liable under theories of agency, negligent entrustment, and the family car doctrine.
On April 29, 2011, Anamaria Gil was elected Chair-Elect of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the WSBA.
Reed McClure is pleased to announce that three attorneys were promoted to Shareholder: Earle Bravo, Michael Budelsky, and Chris Nye. We congratulate our new shareholders. Together we will continue Reed McClure's strong tradition and long history of providing the highest quality legal services to our clients.
On April 1, 2011, Pam Okano and Marilee Erickson spoke at WDTL's Annual Insurance Seminar. Pam presented the Annual Insurance Case Law Update. Marilee presented: UIM and Bad Faith Claims: Bifurcation or Not?
On March 22, 2011, Mike Rogers obtained summary judgment in an insurance declaratory judgment action involving a significant injury based on a family/household exclusion in a boatowners policy.
On March 11, 2011, Marilee Erickson presented an update on Washington's Insurance Fair Conduct Act to the Northwest Insurance Coverage Association.
In a complex insurance coverage case, Pam Okano convinced the Court of Appeals that the $10,000,000 in excess flood insurance provided by Lloyd's kicked in as soon as Pam's client's $1,000,000 flood sublimit was gone. The court reversed the trial court judge, who had ruled that Pam's client's policy provided $11,000,000 in flood insurance. (Opinion)
Marilee Erickson and Reed McClure appellate paralegal Mary Clifton were contributing authors to the recently published Washington Appellate Practice Deskbook Supplement 2011.
Michael Budelsky won an appeal from a district court jury award. Mr. Budelsky convinced the appellate court that -- despite a jury award of $0 in general damages for the injured plaintiff and allegedly improper closing remarks by defense counsel -- the trial court correctly denied granting the plaintiff a new trial.
The January 2011 issue of Seattle Business named Reed McClure attorney Bill Hickman as one of the "Best Lawyers 2011" under the heading Appellate Law. Mr. Hickman is available to consult on appellate matters, in addition to being available as an arbitrator and as an expert witness.
Jason Vacha obtained a defense verdict for an auto insurer at mandatory arbitration in a case where the plaintiff alleged bad faith and Consumer Protection Act violations. The arbitrator ruled that because the insured and the repair shop failed to communicate with the insurer and failed to give the insurer an opportunity to address complaints during the repair process, the insurer had not violated its duty of good faith and fair dealing or the Consumer Protection Act.
Reed McClure's appellate victory in Edwards v. LeDuc, 157 Wn. App. 455 (2010), is highlighted in Tegland's Litigation Today, Special Issue - The Top Developments in Evidence and Civil Procedure in 2010.
Pam Okano spoke on evaluating appeals and preserving issues for review and participated as a panelist on brief writing at a Pincus Professional Education seminar entitled The Complete Appeal on December 10, 2010.
Marilee Erickson spoke on "Emotional Distress in Washington" at the December 10, 2010, WDTL CLE - Tort Law Updates.
Pam Okano gave the Washington coverage and tort update to the Joint Idaho/Washington WDTL seminar on November 5 in Couer d'Alene, Idaho.
Marilee Erickson moderated a discussion on Insurance Fair Conduct Act ("IFCA") Developments at a recent WDTL Insurance Section meeting.
For the second time in 33 days, Michael Budelsky and Marilee Erickson convinced the Washington Court of Appeals to accept review and reverse an order denying their client's motion to dismiss for improper service of process. (Published Opinion)
Michael Budelsky and Marilee Erickson persuaded the Court of Appeals to reverse a $100,000 jury verdict and remand for a new trial because the judge's pervasive assistance to the pro se plaintiff was so irregular.
Congratulations to four of our attorneys - Bill Holder, Bill Hickman, Pam Okano, and Jack Rankin. They were each named to Seattle Metropolitan's "2010 Top Washington Lawyers" list.
Pam Okano persuaded a panel of 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges to affirm summary judgment for an employer hospital, its director, and one of its doctors in a discrimination case. The plaintiff doctor claimed that the defendants had discriminated against him on the basis of race when his privileges ended and were not renewed.
Four attorneys from Reed McClure - Marilee Erickson, Bill Hickman, Pam Okano, and Jack Rankin - have been selected by their peers to Thomson Reuters' "2010 Washington Super Lawyers" list. Special recognition was given to Ms. Okano, who was ranked among the "Top 50 Women Lawyers" statewide.
In a declaratory judgment action filed in federal court, Anamaria Gil successfully opposed motions to vacate orders of default filed by the insured and the third-party claimant, and also, a motion to dismiss or stay the lawsuit under the abstention doctrine, filed by the third-party claimant. Afterwards, the court entered a declaratory judgment in favor of the insurer.
Jason Vacha and Marilee Erickson recently obtained dismissal in two similar lawsuits alleging breach of contract, bad faith, and violations of the CPA and IFCA. Both suits arose out of property damage disputes under auto insurance policies. The King County Superior Court granted our motion for summary judgment in the first case in its entirety, dismissing the lawsuit as a matter of law. Following this ruling, the plaintiff dismissed the second case after receiving our motion for summary judgment.
Anamaria Gil was elected as Secretary for the Executive Committee of the Alternate Dispute Resolution section of the Washington State Bar Association.
Reed McClure’s Eleventh Insurance Law Seminar was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at the Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac, Washington - To receive news of future events, please Contact Us.
Pam Okano successfully represented her insurance company in a coverage dispute in the court of appeals. In its opinion the court agreed with Pam's argument that being listed as a "household driver" did not transform that individual into a "Named Insured." Jack Rankin and Jason Vacha represented the company in the superior court.
Marilee Erickson persuaded a Kitsap County jury to return a defense verdict in a premises liability case. Plaintiff was struck by a motorist while in the crosswalk in front of the defendant store. Plaintiff claimed a store display rack on the sidewalk caused the accident. The jury concluded the plaintiff pedestrian and the motorist caused the accident.
Michael Budelsky and Marilee Erickson convinced the court to vacate a default judgment and sizeable award entered against their client who was never aware of the lawsuit. They successfully argued that the method of attempting to serve notice of the lawsuit on their client -- by publishing it in a local paper -- was insufficient.
Marilee Erickson convinced Division III to grant her motion to publish American Commerce Insurance v. Ensley. This was a case dealing with the RCW 48.22.030(4) requirement of a written waiver of UIM coverage. Division III affirmed the trial court's summary judgment for the insurers because the insured had waived UIM coverage.